AFTER THE EVER AFTER
by kfb
Summary: Elena Gilbert and Stefan Salvatore are finally together, in college and living their happily ever after... or so they thought. What happens when the after isn't so happy after all?(this takes place after the whole TVD Hunter Series) BAMON? Maybe... STELENA? DELENA? READ AND ALL COMMENTARY IS APPRECIATED
1. The Problems

**CHAPTER ONE**

Stefan didn't know if it was the scent that threw him off or the fact that this scent was radiating off the beautiful Elena Gilbert. Her shimmering blonde hair looked lovely with the sunlight hitting it at this exact angle, making it look radiant, a halo of gold cascading from her head down past her shoulders. She caught him looking at her and gave him a small smirk before looking back to Mr. Prescott, the pudgy college professor. Stefan himself found the man incredibly ignorant with his smart attitude but Elena liked him well enough so he stayed in the class. Not that he needed it of course.

He sighs now and glances out the window. There is a bird perched on a tree branch outside with its feathers ruffled in a soft blue and Stefan cocked his head to the side. The bird imitated his action and Stefan felt himself smirking now. The bird flew away, its stuttering heart beat audible to his sensitive hearing. He frowned now and before he could stop himself he wondered, not for the first time, where his brother was.

This was a reoccurring thought to him throughout the centuries but he had never had this thought as many times in a year, like he had this one. It was strange for him to have this strange need to care for his older brother. In a way, it was as if he had always cared but now that he could accept it, not only to himself but to his brother as well, it was as if it flowed out of him uncontrollably.

But that might have something to do with his Elena Gilbert more than anything.

Elena was upset that Damon was telling them of his whereabouts and even more so that he hadn't bothered with a phone call to at least reassure them that he was alive and well. Stefan himself didn't take it personally but Elena certainly did. "But we're his family" was her response to every reason he gave for him not calling. And with Damon, there were a lot of reasons. The main, Stefan supposed was because Damon just wasn't used to the idea of having people worry about him. Even less so with the idea of having to call once a year for some mindless chitchat― it just wasn't Damon.

And Stefan reminded Elena that they might not be his favorite people right now. Damon had left in a good way but Stefan knew his brother well and he knew how famous he was for holding a grudge.

But whenever Stefan tried to mention this to Elena she wouldn't have it. She would go into defensive mode and go off about how Damon has proved himself to be kind and non-spiteful about her decision to spend the remainder of her days with Stefan instead of Damon. Stefan himself hoped that she was right but even now he would have these horrific nightmares that always started the same but ended differently.

It would be dark. Stefan would be inside the manor, the new house that he and Elena had just purchased, but even before this it would just be a different home. He would be holding a bright flashlight because for some reason his vampire senses were drowsy and unclear and he couldn't see past the thick darkness. And it was quiet. Too quiet. He would usually have to climb some staircase and go down a narrow hallway, a hallway with old portraits of his family, like those which used to hang in his childhood home. The wallpaper was always different patterns but always the same blue… a lapis lazuli color. And he would always turn left because he was left handed and people who think they are choosing a random side usually choose the side they are dominant to, usually referring to which hand they write with.

The room itself is always empty, besides the empty bed with a single white sheet cover. Stefan always looks underneath the bed, the flashlight sweeping through the bottom, as if he is looking for something, or expecting someone to be there. But he finds nothing― until he stands and Damon is suddenly beside him and Elena is tied to the bed. Sometimes she is bleeding, blood gushing from her neck but sometimes the blood is dry and the only thing visible is the bite marks. It's a terrible thing to see his love like that, and even worse to see Damon do that to her. Sometimes Stefan has to watch as he drinks her dry and sometimes Damon even makes Stefan do it. Those are the worst.

Suddenly everyone is moving around him and Stefan snaps back to reality. He rises swiftly and grabs his books, moving towards the door where Elena was waiting. She's smiling at him, looking rather amused. "And what were _you_ daydreaming about? And why were you late to class?"

"I had to fix the upstairs bathroom remember." Stefan says as they walk side by side. Stefan takes Elena's book and she looks at him underneath her lashes and kisses his cheek. She walks a little faster than him but reaches for his hand all the same. He squeezes her hand "And as for the daydreaming― let's just say it was more of a day-mare."

Elena rolls her eyes at him, like she always does. "Have you been drinking before bed again?"

"That has nothing to do with it." Stefan frowns.

"Don't pout." Elena says and Stefan sighs, smiling slightly. She grins back at him and suddenly that scent hits him again and he wrinkles his nose. "Is that a new perfume or something?"

"Or something." Elena's grin widens. "Bonnie gave it to me. She said it would attract positivity and kindness."

"The only thing you're going to attract is a skunk."

"Hey!" Elena playfully smacks him and he laughs at her fake-hurt face. But after a few steps, her face sobers up and she surprises him by asking, "Have you heard anything from Detective Bullock?"

Stefan winces "Yes. But you won't like it."

"Oh no," Elena's face falls and Stefan nods gravely. "Who was it this time? Another homeless person? Or was it someone new. Like an innocent three year old."

"Another young man. This one was said to be around the age of nineteen. They haven't been able to identify the body. He was cut up pretty bad." Stefan can feel Elena shiver beside him and he stops walking. "Don't worry love. They'll find this guy before he reaches us."

"And if they don't, I guess we'll just have to stop him ourselves." Elena said in her determined voice and Stefan nodded but he hoped it wouldn't come to that.

They continued walking in silence. Stefan didn't even notice the little blue bird flying slightly behind them. Not too close but close enough that if he had looked up, he probably would have noticed its midnight black eyes never leaving him.


	2. Secrets and Mysterys

Bonnie lifted her psychology book so it was at arm's length. She stared at the picture for a moment before she tilted it to the side and continued to stare at it. The brain that she had been staring at suddenly looked like a heart and she smiled sweetly to herself at the thought. "What are you doing?" she heard Meredith ask and she immediately dropped the book back on her bed.

She looked towards the door and found Meredith standing in her running clothes looking sweaty and flawless all the same. Bonnie smiled sweetly and ignored her own blushing cheeks because she had nothing to be ashamed about "Nothing, just messing around I suppose." She rolled on her bed and lay down so she was flat on her belly and watched Meredith cross the room to her side where all her stuff was located. Just as Meredith began to rummage through her clothing Bonnie asked "So how was your run with the boys?"

Meredith, being Meredith, went running with Zander and his pack. She was fast and strong enough to keep up with them because of her hunter origins while Bonnie herself went for only a nice occasional jog with Elena every now and then. Though lately Elena had been pushing her to go almost four times a week. It was exhausting and completely unnecessary in Bonnie's opinion. The only good thing about her tiny figure was that she found gaining weight to be difficult, thank her ancestors.

"It was fine. I left early though because they wanted to, you know, do their pack stuff. How's your homework coming?"

Bonnie glared pityingly at the pathetic half sheet of paper she had completed. She still had another chapter to continue and another page to fill out. "It's going." Was all she could say.

Meredith laughed half heartedly before stating that she was going to have herself a nice long shower. "Have fun." Bonnie said as her old friend left their dorm room. Bonnie looked vacantly at their room. It felt oddly spacious now that Elena had moved out to live with Stefan. Their house was only a few blocks from the school but it was still weird to Bonnie that they moved out so quickly. They had an eternity of each other to look forward to.

When Bonnie thought of eternity it made her insides go all slushy. Next week she and Zander would be two years into their relationship and already she would find herself getting bored with him. He always talked about the same old things and the same old people and just the same old everything and she could feel herself becoming same and old herself.

Suddenly she stood up and looked at herself in her closet mirror. She had grown not even an inch but her bra did get a size bigger. Her jeans fit more snug but that had more to do with Elena's plea to run hills with her. At first it was difficult but now it wasn't that hard. It was more of getting up off of the couch that was hard.

This year was Meredith's last year before she left to Europe with Alaric and already Stefan and Elena had moved in together. Matt had transferred to a big UC College in the beginning of the year and though he called every now and then, she could feel herself becoming more and more distance towards him.

When Bonnie thought of the future she only saw darkness and she had a feeling her grandmothers' premonition had been correct. Bonnie was indeed going to die young. So she didn't see a point in breaking up with Zander or even telling her friends. She should just be with them while she still could.

So she saw no point in finishing her homework. Instead she called her dad and talked to him about how things were going at home. It made her sad to think of her dad at her funeral but she ignored that nagging feeling to tell him and just tried to act as cheery as possible. It wasn't that hard after all. Bonnie herself had been through much worse.

And besides, she had lived a good long life. Hadn't she?

Damon lifted a finger off of the smooth translucent skin before he dropped it back down again. The body beneath his hand shifted and he could feel himself becoming annoyed. How was this young thing still alive? He ignored the part of him that told him to just leave her alone and continued to feed on the blood bag. He drank from her until there was no beating pulse; he drank from her until he was completely full. He stands up and wipes his mouth with a handkerchief before throwing it back at the naked body. She really was beautiful. She had long red hair but it wasn't curly, it was straight. And while her eyes were a nice blue, she had this delicate skin that showed all her blue veins and such. Damon suddenly felt disgusted. He ran away, and he ran fast.

Meredith called Elena after her shower. She didn't want Bonnie listening. They had all agreed that Bonnie shouldn't be a part of this investigation. She had already sacrificed enough of her life for things that were out of all of their control. Elena answered on the third ring. "Meredith," she sounded extra cheery and that made Meredith think that she had just finished having a good laugh. That made Meredith herself smile. Elena deserved to have a good laugh.

"Anything new on the Slasher case?" she asked almost regretfully.

"Hold on," Elena said more somberly and the next time Stefan was the one who spoke, "Another body was found in Mississippi."

"So it's getting closer." Meredith murmured more to herself.

"Now we don't know if this has anything to do with the supernatural yet. I've looked at the murders and if this was a vampire, it certainly is doubtful. Even more so a werewolf. And the victims seem to be more random than anything."

"Even if this is a human―"

"―we'll do what we can." Stefan says reassuringly and Meredith had to sit down. This was the eleventh body found and she didn't have to ask to know that this newest body had probably been raped and dismembered just like all the others.

"Have you heard anything from Damon?"

Stefan paused for a second and Meredith could hear him moving. He didn't want Elena to hear and her interest peeked. "Meredith. I think we should meet. With Bonnie."

"Why with Bonnie?" Meredith could feel herself going into defensive mode.

"Because I think I may have a link to my brother somehow… I don't know. I used to think that these nightmares I've been having were just nightmares but… they feel so real…"

"And you don't want Elena to know we're meeting?"

"Not yet. Not until we know for sure. I've tried mentioning it to her but… you know Elena. She won't have it." Meredith could feel herself nodding. Even though Elena had chosen Stefan, she still defended Damon like she did when she thought she was in love with him. Meredith shook her head. Elena and her Salvatore brothers. Even with one of them missing, the drama was still there.

"Alright. We can probably meet you right now. The usual?"

"Yeah," Stefan said. Meredith couldn't pinpoint exactly what was in his tone but it sounded like anxiety. "How soon can you be there?"

"In about ten minutes." Meredith said exiting the bathroom.

"Good. I'll see you then." Meredith hung up the phone and as she entered her dorm room she found Bonnie sitting on her bed doing her nails. She looked up and smiled, her curls curly red hair falling carelessly over her heart-shaped face. There weren't any text books on her bed so she must have finished her homework.

"Can you change? We need to meet Stefan."

"Without Elena?" Meredith nodded and went to put her stuff away. "What for?"

"He needs your help."

Bonnie frowned and then recognition sparked in her features. "I'll get my grimoire." Bonnie said and went rummaging through her closet. Meredith watched her for a moment, remembering how once upon a time Bonnie was always reluctant to use magic since in Fell's Church she had been used as spokesperson for a spirit. But now she seemed to accept her wiccan origins. Meredith smiled at Bonnie's back. Lately Bonnie had been extra cheery, always wanting to go to parties and just have a good time. It seemed as if she was finally enjoying her youth.

"Found it!" Bonnie squealed and Meredith grabbed her boots. "Let's go then."

Elena watched as Bonnie and Meredith walked out of the campus building. She took out her cell and dialed Bonnie. She answered on the fifth ring but not before Bonnie stopped to tell Meredith something. "Hello." Bonnie said kind of uneasily and Elena followed them as they went into the woods.

"Hey Bonnie. Where are you? I thought we could hangout."

"Why, is Stefan having a guy's night or something?" The joke made them both giggle a bit but Elena had to stop herself. She wasn't just following Bonnie, she was also following Meredith. And that girl was a hunter. She had to be careful.

"Actually, Stefan did go out tonight. He said he had to go pickup some stuff to finish the bathroom. But that's not the only reason I'm calling. We could have a sleepover or something." Elena said as she herself stepped into the woods. It was dark and she didn't have a flash light but that was ohkay because the only light she could see was the one Bonnie herself was holding. The light was clear and fierce in the thick underbrush of trees and darkness. Elena was careful though, because of the branches and such on the floor.

"Oh, I don't know. Meredith is at the library and I still haven't finished my homework. Maybe tomorrow?" Bonnie said and Elena watched as they went into the hole that she knew became of the tunnels. The same tunnels that went underneath the whole school. They only met up there when they had to talk of things that couldn't be spoken of above ground. Why were they meeting without her? Elena could feel her cheeks heat with anger. She thought she and her friends had gotten past all this secrecy.

If they wanted to be secretive, then fine. But she refused to stoop to their level. She started to walk away but just as she turned she practically rammed into Stefan. She could feel him steady her, putting his hand just above her waist and she felt those butterflies. It was strange how he could still give her those feelings. "Elena, what are you doing here?" he said against her forehead and he smelled all musty and she had that urge to wrap her arms around him, where there were no secrets.

She stepped away from him, "I could ask you the same thing."

Stefan sighed and she crossed her arms. "I'm sorry for lying. But I've been trying to tell you for weeks and you won't listen."

Elena scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion before she remembered exactly what it was he was referring to. "You mean how you think those nightmares have something to do with Damon?"

"Elena, he's in every nightmare, he obviously has everything to do with them―"

"I agree with you. But I don't think he's responsible Stefan. I think it's just you being―"

"Then why can't we check? Just left me do this. It will give me some peace of mind."

"What exactly do you want to do?" Elena said blatantly.

"I don't know. But I do want to hear Bonnie's opinion. See if there is anything in her grimoire."

"Fine. But I'm not staying." Elena said and she started to walk away.

Stefan grabbed her arm as she passed and says "Why? Just stay."

"No. you didn't invite me, so I won't stay." She responds stubbornly.

Stefan says nothing and she is surprised by that. She didn't really want to leave but she walks away anyways. When she turns around Stefan is gone and she is alone in the empty woods. She rubs her arms and is suddenly cold. The trees around her curve in different cynical shapes and she looks up at the half moon. The sky is dark like the woods around her but as she walks back to campus she focuses on the silver moon, wanting to turn around the entire time but never doing so.


	3. Damon and Witches

Damon stairs blankly at the paper in front of him, his eyes re-reading the last three words, over and over and over. He wasn't thinking anything because he didn't know how to react. this has never happened before. Damon himself has never been one to go into shock but stranger things have happened, especially recently.

Behind him the wind blows, carrying leaves slightly above the ground right before they carelessly caressed the pavement, making a gentle scratching noise. Damon closed his eyes and when he re-opened them he was not surprised to find a small girl standing before him. Her bleach blonde hair was held in a high pony tail and it swung behind her as she jumped, literally, to sit on the bed beside him. Damon sighed and the girl plucked the paper from his hands, "Derek said you would be interested in the divinity theory." she says in a voice that was too sweet for Damon and he scowled at the sound of it.

He snatches the paper greedily but the girl doesn't even flinch, like most would. This doesn't surprise Damon though- she knew he was in a bad mood and that just annoyed him more so, the child just loved to push his buttons. "Hmph" he says with a frown, looking at the paper once again.

"Why do you even bother with this nonsense Damon?" The girl asks and Damon closes his eyes. He knew she meant well, for this girl was so much like Bonnie- it hurt. "Derek already spoke to Mary for you. She said she would spare you, she even talked to her fellow coven."

"I have never trusted Mary and I'm not about to start now." He says simply.

"What about Derek?" she asks in that innocent way that only she and Bonnie could manage, "Don't you trust us Damon?"

He says nothing. What was he supposed to say? Damon was a lot of things but he was no liar.

"Aha!" Bonnie says. She knew there was a reason why her magic was being blocked. She grabs her cell and hits speed dial number three. It rings four times before Stefan finally answers, "Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Elena answers.

"I could tell you the same thing," Bonnie says, her eyes skimming the page in her grimoir. "Can I speak to Stefan?"

Bonnie hears some ruffling noises before Stefan answers "Hello."

"Stefan," Bonnie says excited, "I found something in my book that could explain what happened yesterday."

Last night when Bonnie was supposed to contact Damon, she couldn't. Instead it was like she hit a wall, but like a bug to a fly zapper, she had been entangled in the electric charge. When she tried to reach him it was as if her mind had been held onto by some sort of force and as she was being held, she felt pain shoot all over her body. To Stefan and Meredith it looked as if she were having a seizure and to Bonnie... she had never felt such pain in her life, not even when she was stuck in The Dark Dimension and Sinichi had beat her. She would have taken that pain any day of the week compared to the pure, harsh pain that had shot through her veins last night. She fainted right afterwards and Stefan had to carry her to bed. Meredith had wanted to take her to the hospital but Stefan pointed out that mere humanity could do nothing in the face of the paranormal and Bonnie herself had insisted she was fine.

This morning when Bonnie awoke she felt sore all over and she even felt hungover, a dull ach behind her eyes, a migrane sprounting from within her brain. But when she examined herself in the mirror she found no bruises, nothing. That's when she knew it had to be wiccan related, whatever had happened to her.

"Bonnie but Damon-"

"I know you say Damon isn't fond of witchcraft but listen," Bonnie reads from her book "When using Barrier Manipulation a witch can create a force field to not only hide herself and others within the barriers but magnetize the force so the field will project magic used against it to retract and force itself unto the user. The force field can even absorb magic to become heftier or more transluscent to those on the outer barriers. In severe cases, the witch whom created the field can use her own magic to sustain those within the barrier and harm those outside the barrier walls.' See! That's what happened to me yesterday."

The other end is silent for a moment "I'll come by this afternoon." is all he says and then he hangs up.

Bonnie sets her cell down, biting her lip. Damon, she thinks, where are you?

"So what happened last night." Elena says, pushing her hairbrush down so it drags through her tangled blonde hair. She winces slightly at the tug she feels and Stefan comes up behind her. He puts his hand over her own and he mimics her action but slower and somehow Elena feels no tug, just the gentleness and warmth of Stefan's hand as he brushes over and over, until her hair is wavy and tangle free.

He releases her hand and moves swiftly past her, reaching into the bathroom cabinet. Elena watches the muscles shift within his arm as he grabs something.

"Bonnie couldn't reach Damon. She thinks another witch is blocking her." he says.

Elena frowns and Stefan begins to brush his teeth. "But I thought Damon didn't like witches- except for Bonnie, of course." She says smirking slightly.

"He doesn't." Stefan says, his brush moving in little circles and now Elena smiles a genuine smile. It was still strange to her watching Stefan doing human things, though he seemed to do them all the time every now and then Elena would remember that he was far from ordinary, even as he ironed his shirt or vacuumed the living room. Such mundane things that someone as extraordinary as Stefan shouldn't have to do and yet he did them anyways.

Now he rinses his mouth with water and sets his tooth brush down. He catches her smile and smiles back, "What are you smiling at silly girl?"

"Just my extra hunky boy friend." she says wrapping her arms over his neck. He smirks now and she pecks him on the lips, loving the warmth she felt on her mouth when she did. Even as she leaned back slightly and looked into his moss green eyes she could still feel his lips lingering, a tingle upon her lips. "And what do you think?" Elena asks and now she watches his loving expression turn into something worried.

"I don't know. Maybe your right, maybe its nothing." He sighs.

"Well its too late for that now," Elena says releasing him. "We're getting a hold of him. Whether he wants to or not."

Damon steps out into the back yard. Most vampires wouldn't be able to see the force field surrounding the house but he did. If you looked closely at the sky above every now and then a little sparkle would appear, just for a second but just a second was long enough for Damon to see it. He scowls at nothing in particular and Derek blurs in front of him. Damon rolls his eyes, "If your done showing off, could you please come help me with your sister? She's getting rather annoying."

"Please." Derek says walking past him "Like she could ever annoy you."

Damon scoffs before following him into the house once again. He was getting really tired of being in the house but it was better than being dead.

"Chloe!" Derek yells, setting down the groceries. Damon watches as Chloe herself suddenly appears before them.

"Derek you're back!" she says hugging him, though he was only gone a little over twenty hours. "What took you so long?"

"Sorry sister but Damon really dug his grave this time." Derek says and Damon flicks his tongue within his mouth. "Tell me again, what made you want to make a deal with Hannah again?"

"I told you, I didn't have a choice. It was either I work with them or they'd kill me." Damon says as he watches Derek and Chloe put the stupid food away. The house looks like any other house, all big, white on the outside and brown on the inside. The furniture is comfy in a sense and all warm colors making it seem warm and inviting. There were even kitchen appliances and a working fridge.

"So why betray them if you knew they already wanted to kill you?"

"For that exact reason. Maybeline already hates me because of what happened in the fourties-"

"You mean how you broke her heart by sleeping with her younger sister?"

"-so she would have killed me anyways, after I helped her steal her goddamn artifact. So of course I made a deal with Mary-"

"But Mary hates you because she knows what a traitor you are."

"-and that's where you come in. Get me out of this situation alive and all debts are paid."

"Right." Derek says putting the final can in the cabinet. "You just want me to betray my fellow witches so you can get what you want."

"What _we_ want." Damon says in his suave persuasive voice. "You know if either of them succeed in bringing back the Seven Sisters, we're all dead anyways."

"I just don't get why they want to bring them back anyways. We all know that if they come back it could mean the end of the world. Why risk it?" Chloe asks all childlike and Damon smiles.

"For the same reason Derek works for them. Greed." Damon says.

"Hey," Derek says hotly "That's not true and you know it." Damon raises his eyebrows. "At least, not all right..."

"Right."

"Who are you to speak anyways? The only reason why you're in this mess is because you stole the Necklace from Maybeline in the first place and sold it to that weird gypsie."

"How was I supposed to know that necklace was worth so much? If I'd have known you think I would have sold it so cheap? Ha!"

"Why did you steal it from Maybeline if she was your girlfriend?" Chloe asks.

"Because he's a dick."

"Because" Damon says ignoring Derek, "She was going to dump me the second she found out I slept with her sister. So I left before she could and the necklace was just laying there. If I would have known it would cause so much trouble, I never would have taken the stupid thing."

"But why did you sleep with her little sister if you knew it would upset her?"

"Because he's a dick." Derek says again and Damon just shrugs.

"Where did you meet the gypsie?" Chloe now asks.

"In Germany. She told me that necklace would bring death to anyone who held it. So I compelled her to wear it."

"That's terrible!" Chloe shrieks.

"That I am. And she was right. When I took Hannah to her, Hannah killed her. But at least she died quickly. No pain." Damon says blankly. He looks up at Derek who is making something on the stove. Derek meets his eyes but says nothing.

"And then you stole it from them and gave it to Mary... does that mean she's going to die next?"

"I don't know." Damon says moving side to side I his kitchen stool. "Maybe."

"But Derek!" Chloe shrieks and Derek puts his hands on her shoulder's.

"It's ohkay Chloe, Marry can take care of herself." Derek says rubbing his sisters shoulders. He glares at Damon from above her head and Damon sneers back at him.

"Damon, why did you choose to give the necklace to Mary? Why not just get rid of it?"

"Because Mary is the only witch he knew with a coven that is bigger than Hannah's and Maybeline's. He knew he would be safe with them."

"Safe enough that they wouldn't come and find me." Damon corrects.

But if your safe with Mary then why did you call us?" Chloe now asks, tears in her eyes.

Damon leans forward and brushes the tears from her eyes, "Because I don't trust Mary to not just hand me over once she got what she wanted. But I do trust you."

Chloe smiles now and Derek frowns. "Why don't you go take a bath? Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

Chloe nods once and then she fades quickly. Damon blinks. If he hadn't seen her sitting there, it would have been like she had never been there. Not for the first time he wished he could have such a power.

"Stop pretending like we're friends Damon because we are not. You saved Chloe's life and that's why I'm here, to pay a debt. That's all. Don't get close to her, I don't want her trusting you."

Damon nods and stands, going back to the backyard. After all, who could blame him? Damon was a lot of things, one of them being a traitor.


	4. Clues

{{{{{{[[[[**AUTHORS NOTE**: _Sorry about the wait, I'm glad you guys like it, I'll be posting a new chapter every few days, no longer than two weeks, again, sorry for making you guys wait, be sure to comment and stuff I take what you say under consideration! The story has room for changes, after all, if the author knows the ending then the reader probably does too ;) and with that I'm leaving it open for interpretation. I hope you guys enjoy_]]]]}}}}}}}}

When Bonnie looked at the clock above her head, it was two minutes before she was supposed to meet with Stefan and just as she glanced down at the door which was being opened that's exactly who she found. "Always early," Bonnie smiled. She was early herself for this same reason.

Stefan just smiled a little and nudged his head to the side, as if motioning for Bonnie to follow him. She took a step forward and Stefan leaned back into the door and Bonnie stepped through the doorway and past him. Always the gentleman, Bonnie thought as she hopped along. This was also to be expected of Stefan but what was not expected was Bonnie finding herself staring at Elena, with Elena in the passenger seat. Elena smiled at Bonnie's expression, which didn't look as surprised as taken back. Bonnie looked sideways at Stefan but he just shrugged and moved toward the car. Bonnie smiles uneasily at her friend, making her own way to the car "If I would have known you were coming I would have insisted that Meredith come as well."

'Let her worry about school for today," Elena replied as Bonnie got into the back seat. "So" Elena says as Bonnie slides on her seat belt. She chose to sit in the middle so she could lean forward and discuss with her friends without feeling out of loop. "What did you have in mind Bonnie?"

"Look, I know you guys don't want me getting involved in the whole serial killer thing but I can really help you guys out. The murder was pretty close to here and I'm sure that if we go and I examine the scene, I could totally get a premo-"

"Bonnie?" Stefan interrupts her, the car beginning to move. "How about we focus on the problem at hand right now, hmm?" he says it rather nonchalant but Bonnie knows better than to argue when Elena was sending her daggers through the rearview mirror.

"Well first off, Damon can't be that far from us. The spell states that the closer you are to the force field, the more power you'll feel. If he had been in another country, I wouldn't have felt the blast as much as I had."

"Do you think you could get past the force field?" Stefan asks lightly and now Bonnie narrowed her eyes. He was either in a really good mood, which was weird because this conversation wasn't exactly light but then again he might just be feigning a cool façade for Elena's benefit.

"Probably not." Bonnie said honestly "But that isn't to say that this is all a lost cause. I can pin point where the power is coming from. It might not lead us to Damon but it will at least take us to the witch and hopefully he or she can get us going in the right direction."

"Great. So where are we headed exactly?" Elena asked, straight to the point.

"Right now, the woods. I need to be around trees for this spell."

"Is anywhere alright?" Stefan asks, already coming to a stop on the side of the high way.

"This is fine." Bonnie says and they all unbuckle and head off into the woods. After just a minute or two of walking Bonnie stops and kneels to the ground. Stefan and Elena glance at each other before they both take a step back. Bonnie begins whispering the five words she had been memorizing all morning. In her hand she held a little charm bracelet which Damon had given to her before he had left. She continued to repeat the spell and she could feel the mood around her change slightly, the wind blowing her hair, the leaves scratching against one another above her. And then, just like that she said something. She didn't know what she had said after she said it but that was nothing new. She rarely ever knew what she was saying in a trance, if ever. "What did I say?" Bonnie turns around but she doesn't see Stefan or Elena. Then she gets that sick feeling in her stomach and she pulls out her cell from her pocket. The second she does, its already vibrating. "Please don't tell me you're going without me." Bonnie says as an answer.

"Sorry Bonnie, but if Damon is in trouble, and Stefan thinks he is, then its better if you sit this one out." Elena says without a hint of apology in her tone.

"But I really wanted to see him!" Bonnie cries and she can feel her eyes getting watery. Why were they still treating her like a little kid?

"You will see him. We'll bring him back with us, I promise. Now just wait by the road, Stefan already called Meridith to pick you up."

Bonnie said nothing. Instead she just hungup on her friend. Even though she knew she shouldn't, she began walking in the opposite direction of the road. "You want to treat me like a kid." she said to herself "then I'll act like one."

Elena set the phone down on the counsel between her and Stefan. She doesn't look at him and he doesn't say anything. Elena sighs. They sit like that, the trees passing them by and Elena looks at Stefan. He's staring straight ahead, his green eyes focused on the road but Elena knew he wasn't thinking about driving. His jaw was tense and his hands looked stiff on the wheel. "Who're the Cyrus's?"

Stefan flexed his fingers "They're a group of very powerful witches." He glances over at Elena "So I've heard."

"And what are we going to do once we reach them?" Stefan says nothing so Elena continues "How do we know they aren't keeping him prisoner or something?" Still nothing "What if they try to take us prisoners as well?"

"They won't."

"We don't know that."

"No we don't. Do you have any ideas?" Elena narrows her eyes, "I didn't think so." Stefan sighs.

"Do all witches hate vampires?" Elena says and now Stefan glanced at her, seeing the nervous expression on her face.

"Not all. They mostly think they're above my species." Stefan gave her half a smile "Don't worry Elena. Once we get there I can scope the place out and think of a plan. We aren't a hundred percent sure he's a prisoner." Stefan says but Elena rolls her eyes. They both knew he was.

"Why are we going here again?" Zander asked for the third time. Bonnie rolls her eyes. Her phone buzzes in her hands and she glances down to the seventh missed call from Meredith. Bonnie sighs and turns her cell off. She looks at Zander and he's looking at her hands where she held her phone. He looks up at her face with a questionable expression on his features. "Bonnie. What's up with you?"

"I just want to check this place out. I can't explain why till later ohkay? Can you just trust me please?"

Zander looks away from Bonnie and looks at the road ahead of him. He looks at the sky above him and see's it was still sunny. The light was red and it was taking forever to turn green. There were no cars crossing in front of them. "This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the murders in that town right?" Zander asks without looking at her.

"Ohmehgawd, Meredith told you?" Bonnie shrieks.

"Don't freak." Zander looks at her wide eyed "She told the pack."

"Why haven't you mentioned it to me? Did she ask you not to tell me?"

Zander licked his lips "...not in so many words..."

Bonnie crossed her arms. She couldn't believe them. She thought they were past this whole 'keeping things from her' thing. But obviously they weren't. "Bonnie please don't be mad. We were just trying to-"

"I don't want to hear it." Bonnie says. "Just drive."

"Relax Meredith. This is Bonnie we are talking about. She probably just went to the mall or something. Have you spoken to Zander yet?" Elena asks and Meredith sighs.

Down the hall Meredith can hear some girls giggling. She looks at them, the way they're all sun tan and colored nails, not a care in the world. Meredith pressed the phone between her shoulder and ear as she used her hands to rummage through her purse and find her keys. "I tried him but he isn't answering either."

"See! She's probably with him. Now stop worrying." Meredith walked into her dorm room and closed the door with her foot. The room looked lonely to her for some reason.

"I can't help it. I told you my cousin Jason called- it has me on the frits, I'm telling you." Meredith says dropping her bag by her bed.

"How come I've never met this mysterious cousin of yours, hmm?" Elena says with something more than curiosity and Meredith grins.

"Because I know that if I was a boy Damon wouldn't be Stefan's only competition." She scoffs at her own joke but Elena doesn't' laugh so Meredith clears her throat. "No but seriously. Being a hunter... its weird that I've stayed in the same place for so long. We're usually... you know. Hunting."

"Right." Elena says and Meredith rubs the back of her neck. "Well I look forward to meeting them. They won't try to kill Stefan right?" Elena says this as a joke but something underneath her tone lets Meredith that it was a legitimate question.

"I'll make sure they don't. They aren't terribly old fashioned. Once I explain what kind of vampire Stefan is, I'm sure they'll leave him alone."

"Hmm... well, I'll let you go. I'll call you after the whole witch thing goes down."

"Do you guys have a plan?"

"Of course we have a plan. We aren't rookies."

"Right." Meredith rolls her eyes. "What time will you arrive?"

"At this rate we should be talking to the Cyrus's by tomorrow noon, latest. I'll call you after and check in."

"Don't leave me worrying." Meredith says looking out the window. There was a little blue bird perched on a branch just outside their window.

"I won't. Bye."

"Bye."


End file.
